Service was friendly but kept missing the mark. We ordered a bottle of wine--they tried to deliver just a glass of wine to us, twice. We asked questions about two entrees, clearly ordered the one he recommended, then he brought us the one we didn't order. (With an apology, but still...). Water glasses were small and I had to ask for mine to be refilled about 6 times during the meal. I mean, if you see that someone is a water drinker, shouldn't you try to be more attentive to it? Steak tartar was very good. Octopus was tough but flavorful. Scallops were tasty, but not what we ordered. I probably won't go back.

We went to Vinifera for their Easter brunch. It seemed a little odd at first, as its tucked away in a hotel in an area surrounded by office buildings, but it was definitely worth the try. I can't comment on their regular menu, but they did a fantastic job with their buffet! Plenty of beautiful food, well prepared -- breakfast choices, carving station, waffle and omelette bars, and tons of fruit, veggies, and breads (very vegetarian-friendly). The dessert pastries were excellent. Service was fine; there were tons of staff busing tables (maybe a little too attentive, a little too ready to take away plates), but it was hard to find wait staff for check, to order a beverage, etc. Manager and host staff were very welcoming. We'll definitely keep it in mind for special occasions, and maybe happy hour, too.

Awful experience. Had a 7pm reservation, took far too long to even get water, never got bread. Brought the wrong bottle of wine. Had to ask them to take our entree order and by 9pm when we still hadn't received our food, I called the manager over and told him we were leaving. The apps were delicious, but we won't be back.

This little gem in downtown Auburn is such a great spot for a glass of wine and a nice dinner or lunch. We have been here several times and have had great service and good food everytime!

We made a reservation. Got there hostess set us right away. Got to table you could tell everybody was in a rush. Waiter finally came to the table after 15 minutes and we ordered a bottle wine and waited an additional 15 minutes. Could really tell that the service was out the window that night customers were starting to laugh about how long it took to get food and drinks.After waiting 30 minutes for no bottle wine we decided to walk out

It is attached to the Westin hotel and was crowded and noisy with a hotel event.

We were seated promptly and the menu looked great; however after sitting there for 17 minutes and never receiving a greeting (much less water, menus, or a cocktail list) we got up and left.

If you represent as a restaurant, then you have to manage it professionally- this was run like a hotel lounge that also serves food (maybe)...

Service was very good ... couch area nice ... bar area cramped, awkward layout. Dining room lacked ambiance. Wine list was interesting & servers fairly knowledgeable on wine list. Food was good ... broccoli jalapeño & Brussel sprout were excellent!

Valentine’s Day k bad reservation for two. We get there on time at 8 PM and half the Restaurant was empty even though open table was only showing next reservation at 10 PM. Not sure what was the issue with the management. Finally we are seated and order a bottle of wine. The server did not seem like he was in his best mood. He bought two room service wine glasses as this place is part of hotel. I could see at bar plenty of real wine glasses sitting and requested to speak with manager. The manager gladly went to bar and got us two real wine glasses and poured our wine. Now I requested a decanter for wine. The server was very upset. Finally in his rude attitude he asked if we wanted to order starters and I ordered chicken wings and shrimp cocktail. He gave us pork ribs and shrimp cocktail. We did not complain this time. Finally we were still on our first glass of wine when Place out dinner order. Right after that the fire alarm for whole hotel lighted up and the siren started going up. All guests were told to leave the restaurant and go outside. Two fire engines show up. I tried to locate a person in Restaurant to see if we can pay for our wine and leave but the person said nobody can go inside and made faces. We had a show date later and had to leave in an hour. We waited 20-30 minutes and finally had to take off. There was no instructions from anyone as to how to pay or not pay for glass of wine we had in our hand. We finally took off and eat at a nearby fast food and went to our show. What a way to celebrate valentines. Why would a Restuarant this size should have problem giving you real wine glasses. Why the server say we are super busy when the 60% place was empty at 8 PM. This was second time and last time there as a guest. The hotel is not doing something right to run such a place so

Terrible service.
Enough said

We couldn't hear each other across the table, with only a party of 5. It was nearly impossible to get the waiter's attention, and service was very slow, on a Wednesday night. When we asked for bread and said "we're dying here," the waiter acted like nothing was unusual. The food tasted good, but for the price and poor service, it was not worth it.

Service going down hill. You had better staff. But don’t blame the staff. Blame the management. No attention to details anymore. Little attention to the personal touch.

Nice place. Only complaint from our group was that there were no veggies included. Available for fee.

Half price wine on Sat-Sun worthwhile.

I have been to this restaurant many times and loved it. Unfortunately something has changed. This past Saturday night I was delighted to hear that wine bottles were half price. That was great news. Unfortunately things went South from there. The waiter was new and nervous and absent. We could not get bread delivered to the table. The risotto was awful. The Sommelier had quit the prior day so no one knew enough to recommend a wine for us. I will not go back.

My wife and I were looking for a wine bar we hadn't been to before and selected this one on OpenTable because it was a 1000-point bonus hour. That said, we still had high hopes for it, as it looked good in photos, and the menu was intriguing, if a bit high priced. Once we arrived and realized it was in a Westin, the pricing was explained. We were seated cordially and quickly (it was pretty empty for a Friday night), but there the experience went down a bit. It took a good 10-15 minutes before our waiter came to us even to offer a glass of water, much less take orders for drinks or any food. When he did finally arrive, we were well-ready to order our meals - two drinks, the same soup for us both, and two appetizers to share. He didn't write anything down and when he walked away, I remarked to my wife that I'm always really impressed when a waiter can memorize whole orders like that. However, 10 minutes later he came back with a paper and pencil and asked us to repeat the order "for the kitchen." After another substantial wait, he brought out only my wife's drink. Then came back 5 minutes later with my drink. A little bit after that, I saw another couple waiters come out with what looked like our soups, only to deliver them - and our appetizers - to the table next to us. Our waiter came out a minute or so later and brought the food to us instead. The food was adequate, but didn't blow us away. (The drinks, bar specials, were actually quite yummy.) The waiter did check back with us a couple times while we were eating. Overall, not a horrible experience, but just disappointing. There's nothing there that would make us rush to return.

Pretty much empty. Food was mediocre and the wait staff way below par.

I was expecting my experience to be a fairly good one considering the reviews read. I met a friend here for brunch on a Sunday, a late brunch 2pm, and the restaurant was completely empty minus one other couple and us. The restaurant is adjacent to the Westin hotel that was not easily noticeable. The service was slow and inattentive despite the fact that we were the only patrons. Our food was okay, but nothing to rave about. At best I would give an overall rating of okay/fair.

We were meeting family driving in just for lunch from out of town and wanted a location so they wouldn't have to drive into DC. The location was as convenient as we could find open for lunch during the week. We had a bit of difficulty finding parking once we arrived at the address, since there is another hotel and apartment building in the same park. We spotted the red awning of the restaurant and that's how we found it. The ambiance in the lobby was very impressive with a lovely, welcoming fireplace on a chilly afternoon. However, there was no hostess on duty to seat us, and only one waitress, who led us to our table. A lovely display of seasonal offerings were visible at the entrance, but I did not see them on offer for our luncheon meal (perhaps that's only for dinner). Considering that this is a restaurant in a hotel (Westin), it was an enjoyable experience. The waitress and assistant were polite, but my sister had to ask more than once for a spoon and my brother-in-law had to repeat his request for iced tea. My salad arrived without bread but that was provided shortly after I requested it. The crab in the salad was good, tasted fresh, no problems. However, I found the dressing merely okay, a lemony nothing-special affair. Both my sister and brother-in-law had grilled cheese sandwiches which my sister did not finish, and my brother had a bit of trouble with the coarse consistency of the bread, which made him cough a bit. My husband seemed quite happy with his hamburger. We did not order either alcohol (although this is a wine bar, primarily) since we were anticipating long drives after lunch, coffee, or dessert. The bill for the 4 of us with tip came to $84, which seems a good value by DC standards.

Limited menu. Would like to see chicken or more seafood. Otherwise is was a good exoerience. Highly suggest sitting outside.

Vinifera was a great find with an excellent wine list and a good variety of menu items. The scallops I had were perfectly cooked and my wife's steak was equally delicious. Our server was very courteous and helpful.

I dine here 3-4 times per year when in town for business and always look forward to a good meal. The fall menu had some nice seasonal choices. I recommend the pumpkin risotto and beet salad. Great portion sizes unlike some restaurants. Nice to dine outside. Service is always hit or miss but still pretty good. Some great new desserts!

This was our first visit to Vinifera. I have food allergies and it is very hard for me to find a place to eat out. I contacted the chef ahead of time. Chef Falbo was very quick to respond and reassured me that he would take care of me. I really enjoyed my carefully prepared meal and it was so artfully presented too. Just lovely. The restaurant has herb gardens in planters right outside. The dessert of mint ice-cream was very refreshing. Kristen was a very gracious server. We will look forward to return visits. Another plus, the restaurant offers easy (free) parking.

Wonderful evening outside by the firepit. Our server John was extremely attentive and professional. The food and drinks were very good in every aspect - flavor, portion and price.

This is a hidden gem that is worth going to with the weather calls for an outdoor venue.

Help was slow and understaffed.

Came for a business lunch meeting. Hostess asked for drink orders before we could sit down. Waitress didn't return after serving water. Had to walk to kitchen to get attention.

Food was very good but service was not. To be fair they seemed understaffed.

If it weren't for our welcoming server we would have turned around

We love meeting friends here for drinks and anything from "grazing" to a full dinner. Love the fresh local ingredients.

My husband and I went to Vinifera seeking a quieter alternative to Reston Town Center. We were in for a nice surprise! The restaurant was set away from the hustle and bustle and bordered on tranquil. We enjoyed our meal under a grapevine-covered trellis on the patio. Kevin, our waiter, provided friendly service. I ordered the Snake River Wagyu flank steak and my husband had the Scottish Salmon. I was blown away by the wonderful beefy flavor of the steak! Kevin said it was only seasoned with salt and pepper. WOW. We savored every bite. It began to rain, so we came indoors and enjoyed a delicious panna cotta dessert while listening to the live music. We will return!

Took a friend who had never been here. After we were seated and ordered drinks. I asked about the happy hour, which is why we came. They said it was only available in the lounge or outside area. So, no worries, we moved to the lounge. We waited about ten minutes and no drinks arrived nor did a server. I had to ask for someone to come to the table. Service remained spotty the rest of the night. I ordered a glass of wine and it took forever to come.

My friend got the burger, which was great. My tuna "entree" was very skimpy and the happy hour food offerings were not very appealing. My salad was very good. I was a bit embarrassed as I had recommended that we come.

Enjoyed patio seating on a lovely evening. Trout appetizer spread was very tasty, and savory. Also loved the garlic hummus with the Snake River Wagyu steak. Chocolate pots du creme was a perfect end to a terrific evening.

Went for our 21st wedding anniversary. Had drinks and salad outside on the patio. Then came the rain but we were easily seated inside. Scallops were melt in your mouth. We had the warm strawberry rhubarb crisp which was superb. I was a bit disappointed that they didn't offer a drink or dessert for our anniversary but they did write "happy 21st Anniversary " on our dessert plate in chocolate. Nice touch. Very good happy hour offerings. We will go back.

Great food & service

This is our second time here and we were not disappointed. We had appetizers and it was perfect.

We always enjoy dining at Vinifera. The food is delicious, but the menu is limited. On the patio, the music is a little loud; loud enough to be a distraction to quiet conversation.

Vinifera is located in the Westin hotel, Reston Town Center. This is a great location for hotel guests but problematic for drop-in diners. The menu is exciting and the wine list is thorough. That said, the service was on-par for a 'hotel' establishment and not as a restaurant.

Wonderful food, ambience and service. Will go there again, particularly for special occasions.

After joining the "quiet crowd" who are avoiding the Reston Town Center as they work out their paid parking problem, we decided to give Vinifera Wine Bar & Bistro a try. It is tucked away in the Westin Hotel which is located in a very uncrowded and free parking section of Reston. Wow, were we surprised. We ordered several of their small plates to share. They source locally as much as they can and it shows in the quality of their dishes. The grilled octopus, wild boar Pigs Wings and the Local harvest' Beef Tartar were excellent. The wine list is extensive and they have a large selection of Virginia wines. The half price wine price promotion on the weekends in April brought us in, but the food and wine selection will bring us back. A true diamond in the rough.

Was just a bit surprised that this restaurant was inside the Westin Hotel, but we were pleasantly surprised how nice the restaurant was. This was our first time and we just had "cheese" appetizers. The presentation was amazing and it was quiet so that my husband and I could have a conversation. The stout beer was amazing. We will be back.

We went for the Easter Brunch. At first I thought "Oh no, what did I do?" when we pulled up to a suite of hotels, I didn't realize from their website that Vinifera is adjacent to the Westin. However, the big treats for the children (and, if I'm being honest, me) were a petting zoo complete with 2-week-old baby goats (adorable) and turtle, with bunnies, llamas, sheep and chicks as well. They also organized an easter egg hunt every half hour. We went early to partake and had a late reservation, which was great because the crowds had thinned and it was quiet but the buffet did not look picked over. The buffet was great- carving station, lots of salad choices, typical breakfast fare and many vegetable sides. And, of course, desserts. The Easter Brunch at least is very kid friendly, pretty much every table had at least one child and by the end of our brunch they'd all become fast friends in our dining area. We made the drive from DC because of the petting zoo and we'll be back next year. Worth the drive for Easter.